Fluid-based switches such as liquid metal micro switches (LIMMS) are disclosed in the following patents and patent application (the teachings of which are hereby incorporated by reference): U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,447 of Kondoh et al. entitled “Electrical Contact Breaker Switch, Integrated Electrical Contact Breaker Switch, and Electrical Contact Switching Method”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,750,594 of Marvin Glenn Wong entitled “A Piezoelectrically Actuated Liquid Metal Switch”; and U.S. patent application of Marvin Glenn Wong entitled “Laser Cut Channel Plate for a Switch” (Ser. No. 10/317,932, filed Dec. 12, 2002).
One way to manufacture the switches disclosed in the above-referenced patent and patent applications is to 1) deposit an adhesive on a channel plate, and then 2) seal the desired combination of switching fluid(s), actuating fluid(s) and/or other switch components between the channel plate and a substrate.
When depositing the adhesive on the channel plate, it is typically desirable to “register” the adhesive with the channels of the channel plate. That is, it is desirable to deposit the adhesive on the channel plate so that it extends precisely up to, but not into, the channels of the channel plate. In this manner, the adhesive does not contribute to increasing or decreasing the volumes of cavities that are defined by the channels when the channel plate is sealed to the substrate.